LA TRINIDAD, Benguet, Philippines - Strawberry lovers should have all the reasons to be happy over the prevalence of the cold spell in this capital town because the fruits - farmers said - are sweetest when the temperatures are colder. Contrary to the case of most vegetables grown in the province that are adversely affected by frost or the formation of ice crystals on the leaves, strawberries are fruits that tend to be juicier and tastier with the colder weather, experts said. Because of the peculiar weather condition prevailing in the region, strawberry producers claimed the fruit produced in the province is much superior in quality compared to the strawberries produced in other areas in the country.
La Trinidad is the major producer of strawberries in the country with more or less 70 hectares of land planted with the fruit and will peak during the months from January to March. With the unpredictable weather prevailing in most parts of the region, especially the highly elevated ones, strawberry producers are confident that they will continue to overshoot their projected sales this year because of the influx of more tourists interested to taste the juicy fruit, especially when the weather gets colder in the coming weeks due to the continuous prevalence of the northeast monsoon coupled with the defused tail end of the cold front. The cold spell usually prevails in the highly elevated areas in the region during the months from November to March, which is also simultaneous with the planting and eventual harvest of strawberries on the fields. At least 500 farmers rely on strawberry production as their main source of income during this time of the year before again shifting to vegetable or cutflower production during the remaining months of the year to sustain their living condition.
